Toy airplane



B. H. PLATT TOY AIRPLANE Sept. 4, 1945.

Filed Feb. 14, 1945 INVENTOR .B/Ef/j b. P/mf BY ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 4, 19 45 UNITED STATES PATENT ornca TOY AIRPLANE Beverly H. Platt, Kansas City, Mo.

Application February 14, 1945, Serial No. 512,764

12 Claims.

This invention relates to toys, particularly to a toy aircraft, and has for its principal object to provide a simple and inexpensive toy simulating an airplane driven by Jet propulsion.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective upper side view of a toy.

airplane constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective underside view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the tail assembly.

Fig. 4 is. a perspective view of the rudder.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, of the-jet.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates a toy airplane simulating a Jet propelled airplane in that it is p wered by an escaping Jet of air.

While the air plane is adapted to many variations in construction, I have illustrated a simplifled form which includes a longitudinal member or longron 2 in the form of a stick or rod and which constitutes support for the wings 3 adjacent the front end l thereof and the tail assembly I at the rear end i. The wings 3 may be constructed of any light weight sheet material that is self-supporting such as cardboard or the like cut to shape and adapted to be secured to the member 2; for example, with an adhesive such as used in the assembly of ordinary toy airplanes, or with an elastic band 3' having its ends looped over the rod 2 and extended over the top of the wings as shown in Fig. 2. This method provides for adjustment of the wing along the rod 2 so as to obtain a desired balance.

In the illustrated instance, the wing 2 has a substantially straight forward edge 1 and outwardly and forwardly extending rear edges I. The surface intermediate the front and rear edges may be shaped or left in the flat form as illustrated in the drawing. The Wings 3 are mounted at a point on the member 2 to secure the proper balance and to provide space on the forward end of member 2 to connect flexible, preferably elastic, anchoring strand 9 for an inflatable envelope or bag ll later described. The lateral sustaining members ll of the tail assembly are formed of similar material and have a shape similar to that of the wings and are secured to the end I of the member 2 with an adhesive or the like as in the attachment of the wing structure. The rudder I2 is also formed of sheet material and shaped as best illustrated'in Fig. 4.

In the illustrated instance the rudder has a substantially perpendicular rear edge II, a baseflanges I! and It are spaced vertical slits II and 20. The material between the slots. l9 and 2. is pressed outwardly as at 2| from one side of the rudder and the material between the slits and the front and rear edges II and II is pressed out- .wardly from the opposite side of the rudder as indicated at 22 and to form arcuate loops cooperating to provide a substantially tube-like passage 24 (Fig. 3) through which the nozzle 25 of the bag I! is projected as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The bag ll may comprise an ordinary toy rubber balloon or envelope and has a knob .28 formed on the end thereof opposite the nozzle or neck 2| whereby the bag is secured to the flexible connection 9 for anchoring that end of the bag so that the bag overlies the upper sides of the wings as shown in Fig. 1. The neck ornozzle 25 projects beyond the rudder and has a rounded annulus 21 to support a tube-like nozzle 30 having an orlflce 3| therein of a size to .allow escape of sufficient quantity of air to effect propulsion of the plane through the air. I

The sound of an airplane may be simulated by equipping the nozzle 30 with'a vibratory reed or tongue II that is supported in the path of the escaping air by a cross member 34.

The device may be provided with retractable landing wheels Ill having supporting arms 38 formed of cardboard or the like and secured to the undersides of the wings by hinge elements l'l formed of relatively stiff fabric so that the hinge elements normally tend'to retain the wheels in perpendicular or landing position relative to the wings. The wheels are retained in retracted position as shown in Fig. 2 by a cord 28 extended over the envelope and having ends extending through openings 39 in the wings and attached to the arms It of the landing wheels 35. Thus, when the envelope is in inflated condition as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the wheels are retracted, but when the envelope is deflated as shown in the dotted lines 22, the tension in the hinge elements 21 eflects projection of the wheels to landing position.

In using the plane, the bag or envelope is inflated by blowing through the nozzle II, the bag being extended sufliciently so that the elastic tension imparted in the walls is suflicient to expel the contained air at a velocity to provide an escaping jet of suflicient force to cause the plane to soar. As the air escapes through the nozzle, the envelope gradually collapses as indicated by the dotted lines 32 and the plane will glide to the ground. I

I! the nozzle is equipped with a reed 33 as illustrated in Fi 5, escape of the air under pressure simulates the sound of an airplane. Deflationpi' the envelope incidental to escape of the air through the nozzle permits the cord 38 to be drawn through the openings 38 of the wings by the spring action of the hinge elements 31 and the wheels 35 automatically move to landing position by the time the air is expended.

From the foregoing it is obviou that I have provided a toy airplane simulating airplanes of the jet propulsion type and which is particularly interesting and amusing as a toy for children.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A toy aircraft including a support, sustaining members on the support, an inflatable member'having a discharge nozzle means for anchoring the inflatable member on the support, and means for securing said nozzle in fixed position on the support.

2. A toy aircraft including a support, sustaining members on the support, an inflatable member having a discharge nozzle, flexible means for anchoring the inflatable member, and means for attaching the inlet anddischarge nozzle in'flxed position on the support.

3. A device of the character described including an elongated support, sustaining member on the support. an inflatable member having a closed end and an inflation and discharge nozzle at the other, means for anchoring the closed end to one end of the support, and flexible means for attaching the inlet and discharge nozzle to the opposite end of the support.

4. A device of the character described including a longitudinal member, sustaining wings extending laterally of the forward end of said member, a tail assembly flxed to the rear end of said member including a rudder, an inflatable bag having a knob on one end and a nozzle at the other end, a flexible connection between the knob and the forward end of said member, and means for connecting said nozzle with the rudder.

5. A device of the character described including a longitudinal member, sustaining wings ex-, tending laterally oi the forward end of said member, a tail assembly fixed to the rear end of said member including a rudder, an inflatable bag carried longitudinally of said member and having a nozzle, and means for supporting said nozzle on the rudder including loops projecting from opposite sides of the rudder for embracing said nozzle.

6. A device of the character described including a longitudinal member, sustaining wings extending laterally of the forward end of said memher, a tail assembly fixed to the rear end of said member including a rudder, an inflatable bag having a knob on one end and a nozzle at the other end, flexible means connecting the knob with said longitudinal member, and means for connecting said nomle with the rudder including loops projecting from opposite sides of the rudder for embracing and supporting said nozzle.

7. A device of the character described including a longitudinal member, sustaining wing and tail members on the longitudinal member, an inflatable has carried by said members having a nomle, and means for connecting said nozzle with one of the tail members.

8. In combination with a toy airplane, an inflatable bag, means for securing the bag on the airplane, and a nozzle on the bag for discharging a jet of air from the bag for propelling the airplane.

9. A toy airplane having hinged landing wheels, an inflatable bag, means for securin the bag to the airplane, means on the bag for discharging a jet of air from the bag for propelling the airplane, and means connecting the bag with the landing wheels to normally retain the landing wheels in retracted position when the bag is inflated.

10. A toy airplane including a longitudinal member, wings carried by said member, an inflatable bag supported by the wings and having a nomle for discharging air from the bag to effect movement 01 the airplane landing wheels, means hinging the landing wheels to said wings, said hinging means having spring action tending to retain the landing wheels in landing position, anda flexible connection extending over the bag and having ends connected with the landing wheels to retain the landing wheels in retracted position when the bag is inflated.

11. A toy airplane including an inflatable bag having an air discharge opening arranged at the rear of the airplane for discharging air under pressure to efl'ect movement of the airplane, and vibratory means supported in the path ofthe discharged air for simulating the sound of an air- I plane.

12. A toy airplane including a longron, a wing member extending transversely of the longron, means for adjustably attaching the wing member to the longron, an inflatable bag extending along said longron and across the wing, a tail member on the'longron, means for discharging a Jet oi air from the bag, and mean for securing the bag to the tail member.

BEVERLY H. PLATI. 

